


Hydrophobia

by Phoenix_Sparrow



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 08:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12814059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Sparrow/pseuds/Phoenix_Sparrow
Summary: Scott has to have a word with Tin-Tin after a throwaway but well-meant comment, coupled with a difficult rescue leaves Virgil feeling out of sorts, reminded of a traumatic event from his childhood. Suffice it to say, Gordon wasn't the only one affected by the hydrofoil incident.





	Hydrophobia

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a few instances spotted throughout original series episodes whereby Virgil avoids going swimming, sits away from the pool and takes over Mobile Control instead of diving down to help Gordon at the bottom of Lake Anasta. The story opens after the events of "The Uninvited" and mentions "Desperate Intruder". Also, I'm really not very good at tagging so please, feel free to suggest tags for this to me because I don't want to upset people for the content.

The cockpit was quiet. Compared to everything that had just happened, the quiet was almost deafening to Scott. His ears were still ringing from the strength of the explosion that had taken out the pyramid just moments after he and the two archaeologists had reached the safety of Thunderbird One.

He’d not long dropped Wilson and Lindsey off at their base camp and was now almost back to his own base. He was looking forward to having a nice long shower. Sand wasn’t one of his favourite things, it got everywhere.

It wasn’t long before he’d arrived home, gained clearance and effected a landing.

“Welcome home, Son,” Jeff said from his position behind the desk.

“Hey, Dad,” he replied as he fully entered the lounge. “D’you need anything or can I go get a shower?”

“You can get a shower by all means,” Jeff stated. “How’s your head?”

“I’m alright, Dad,” Scott said, smiling, though his hand raised almost subconsciously to brush over the still healing wound on his forehead, obtained when he’d crash landed due to being shot down by the same group of people he’d just rescued the archaeologists from.

Jeff smiled back at him. “Good. Go on then, go get your shower.”

 

By the time Scott had allowed the hot water to soothe his aches and wash away the sand of that desert, Thunderbird Two had returned, so the eldest made his way out of his room and along the corridor to Virgil’s.

He knocked on the door and waited for his brother to respond, but was concerned when the call never came. “Virgil?” He was pretty certain he was in there, sure he’d heard him go in while he was showering. “Virgil, you okay?”

He heard sounds from within the room so cracked the door open and peered inside. “Virgil?” He frowned seeing him wandering around his room, straightening random items that, in Scott’s opinion, probably didn’t need straightening. “What are you doing, Virge?” he asked, quietly.

Virgil looked up at him. “Oh, hey, Scott,” he said, his tone quiet as he returned to reorganising his desk. “I’m just tidying.”

Scott frowned slightly as he watched him. He was arranging the pencils in his pot and seemed to be getting frustrated when they fell out of order. He went over and put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder. This need for organisation only ever seemed to flare up like this if something happened. “Virgil?”

The younger man looked round at him and sighed, looking as though he was shrinking in on himself as he pulled away to sit on the edge of his bed.

Scott went over and sat next to him. “What happened?” he asked, concerned.

Virgil shook his head, keeping it lowered. He’d let his errant thoughts dominate him. “Was something Tin-Tin said earlier before you took Alan up to Five.”

Scott tilted his head as he thought. “She was outside, wasn’t she? With Gordon?”

Virgil nodded then uttered something else that Scott didn’t quite catch, causing the elder man to lean closer. “What was that?”

“They were in the pool,” he whispered. “Tin-Tin invited me to join them.”

“Ah,” Scott said, understanding now where the unease had surfaced from, but his frown deepened when Virgil pulled away again.

“Gordon asked too.”

“Oh, Virgil, you know he wouldn’t have meant anything by it,” Scott said. “He gets carried away when he’s in the pool and he just wants you to feel included, you know that.”

Virgil’s head tilted away from him, a shoulder rising in his discomfort. “I can’t,” he whispered.

“I know, Virgil. I’ll have a word with them both for you, how’s that?”

He nodded, a hand smoothing at the creases in his bedspread.

Scott sighed softly. “The pool hasn’t upset you in a long time, Virgil,” he said kindly. “Want to talk about it?”

Virgil shied away again, shaking his head.

“Virgil, please, you’re worrying me. Normally, you just brush off anything to do with the pool. You’d come so far. Did something trigger this? Surely it was more than just Tin-Tin’s comment.”

“Was you,” he mumbled.

“Me? What did I do?”

Virgil couldn’t look at him. “Thought I was gonna lose you,” he muttered, picking at a wayward thread on his pillowcase. “When you stopped answering the comms.”

“Oh, Virgil, I’m so sorry,” Scott breathed, finally realising. It was no wonder Virgil was so out of it. The slip with the pool, coupled with the fear of losing one of his brothers played into the biggest nightmare of his childhood. He reached out to him and was encouraged when Virgil leaned closer, allowing him to wrap his arms round him. “We’re all here, Virgil. We’re all here and we’re all safe.”

He nodded, brushing at his eyes. “I know,” he whispered. “I let my mind get away from me.”

“Are you alright now? I can stay with you for a bit if you need.”

Virgil nodded again, leaning against him and sighing deeply.

 

Later that evening, having left Virgil in his room, sleeping, Scott made his way through the villa, finally finding Tin-Tin outside on the balcony.

He glanced towards his father, working at his desk, before approaching her, sitting on the empty seat beside her. “Hey, Tin-Tin,” he said.

The young woman turned to face him, lowering her magazine. “Good evening, Scott,” she said brightly. “Everything alright?”

“Actually, I was hoping I might be able to have a word in private?”

“Um, sure,” she replied, concerned. “Something wrong?”

Scott looked around and noticed the patio was empty of any of the island’s occupants. He stood up, gesturing that she should follow without another word. He noticed Jeff watch them leave but continued on his way.

Throwing a glance at the Tracy patriarch as she went past, she went after Scott. She caught up with him as he was lowering himself to sit on the edge of the pool, his feet hanging into the water. “What’s wrong, Scott?”

He looked up at her and gestured for her to sit beside him. “It’s something we should probably have already told you, to be fair. Then this situation would never have arisen. It’s not your fault.”

“What’s not my fault?” she asked, worried. “What have I done?”

Scott sighed a little, biting his lip and wondering where to start. “This has to do with Virgil and also by extension, Gordon too.”

“I’m confused,” she said.

“You know about Gordon’s hydrofoil accident, right?”

She nodded. “Yes,” she replied, wondering what this had to do with anything. “He almost died.”

“Yeah,” Scott said. “Well, Gordon wasn’t the only one affected by that incident. I mean, Virgil wasn’t involved directly, but he was affected.”

“Why? What happened?”

With a deep breath, his hands clasped together in his lap, Scott started to explain to Tin-Tin what happened that day.

 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out with us?” Gordon asked. He had a lifejacket under his arm and a bright smile on his face, rivalling that of the clear, sunny day.

Virgil shook his head. “No, it’s alright. You go out with your friends, I’m happy here with my easel. It’s not like I’ll be on my own.”

“Well, technically you will, because we’ll be out on the lake and the others have gone into town.”

“Yes, but the lake isn’t enormous really,” Virgil countered. “You’ve got a communicator on the boat, if I desperately need anything, I’ll call you.”

“Well, as long as you’re sure,” Gordon said. “You won’t change your mind?”

Virgil smiled at him. “Gordon, go have fun.”

The teen grinned at his older brother. “Alright then,” he said, waving as he ran off.

Virgil chuckled, returning his attention to his canvas. Picking up his brush, he continued the painting of the lake he’d been working on.

Barely ten minutes had passed when Virgil looked up again, smiling and waving as the boat raced past his position on the bank when he frowned. Something about the motors didn’t sound quite right.

He’d just got to his feet when he saw Gordon push his two friends out of the craft before yanking hard on the helm to angle it away from them as they surfaced. The look on his younger brother’s face told Virgil that Gordon knew he was in trouble.

Without any further warning, the vessel exploded, throwing Gordon high and fast across the lake where he landed with a splash.

“Gordon!” Virgil yelled, his eyes wide with fear. He ran around the shoreline, hoping there might be something he could do, but he couldn’t see him. His breath started to come in short, sharp gasps as he tried to work out what to do, when, before he could process how much time was passing, he heard the sound of approaching sirens. Someone must have seen and called the emergency services.

“Are you alright, kid?” a kind but urgent voice asked and Virgil turned to see a fire fighter stopping beside him.

Virgil stared up at him, his eyes shining with fear as he shook his head. “My… my brother…” he whimpered, trying in vain to calm down.

“Deep breaths, now, kid,” the fireman said, crouching in front of him as others ran past to deal with the wreckage that was once the boat. “Nice and steady, where’s your brother?”

All Virgil could manage was to point at the boat.

“Alright, we’ll find him,” the man promised, getting up and putting a hand on his shoulder, guiding him away from the lakeside. “Come on, there are EMTs just arriving. You need to go see one of them.”

Virgil shook his head, pulling out of his grip and running back toward the water. He dropped to a crouch at the edge of the lake, his head feeling like he was underwater himself where he was still unable to control his breathing.

“Kid, it’s alright, let us find him. You gotta look after yourself, alright?” the firefighter insisted, forcibly moving him away from the shore. “Let me do my work and let this guy do his for you, alright?”

Virgil’s gaze remained fixed on the water but he let him escort him to the ambulance waiting nearby, a paramedic approaching and taking him from the firefighter.

The medic took him to the vehicle and sat him on the step of the open back door. “Alright, you need to look at me,” he said, his tone making Virgil direct his gaze at him. His hands were in tight fists at his sides and his breaths were shallow and rapid. “Look at me, and focus, alright? We need you to calm down, okay? Steady breaths, alright? Steady breaths. Slow and deep.” His tone was soothing and his gaze never once wavered from Virgil’s and, slowly but surely, the teenager’s breathing began to slow down again.

“Well done, young man, well done,” the paramedic encouraged. “That’s it, slow and deep now. You’re doing great. Can you tell me your name?”

Virgil looked at him before turning back to the lake. “My brother…” he whispered.

“They’ll find him, then we’ll look after him,” he said. “Until they do that, you need to help me.”

Virgil nodded, wrapping his arms around himself as he started to shake.

“Good man,” he said to him, grabbing a blanket from the supplies in his ambulance. “Now, what’s your name? I can’t keep calling you ‘young man’, can I?”

“V-V-Virgil,” he muttered, clinging to the edges of the blanket as it was wrapped around him.

“Alright, Virgil. My name’s Tony. Now can you tell me what happened?”

“My brother…” he whimpered, tears filling his eyes. “He… he was on the boat.”

Tony glanced over Virgil’s shoulder and saw one of his colleagues looking after the two boys thrown from the boat, while another was working with the firefighter who’d spoken to Virgil. Between them a young teenager was being given CPR and looked to be in bad shape. He looked back down at the boy in front of him. “You focus on me, alright? You’re going into shock. How many people were on the boat?”

“My brother… and-and his friends,” Virgil stammered.

“How many friends, Virgil?”

He frowned as he thought. “Dad… We gotta… we gotta tell Dad…”

“We will, Virgil, that’s our next job, but how many friends did your brother have with him?”

“I need to see him, I gotta help him!” he suddenly yelped, trying to get up again, but Tony put firm hands on his shoulders.

“Virgil, he’s being looked after, I can see him,” the paramedic insisted. “Let my colleagues look after him so I can look after you.” He pressed on his shoulders gently, sitting him back down. “How many friends, Virgil? We need to make sure we’ve found everyone.”

“He… he had two friends with him. He pushed them out and swerved away before… before it just… it exploded. It exploded with my brother…”

“Are you sure it was only two?”

Virgil nodded, pulling the blanket tighter round himself. He was shivering, harsh shudders wracking his whole body. Tony got up and retrieved another blanket from the ambulance which he gently wrapped round him. “It’s gonna be alright, Virgil, we’ve got your brother and we’ll take him to the nearest hospital and look after him, alright?”

Virgil nodded again.

“You mentioned your father,” Tony said softly. “Do you have a contact number for him at all?”

He looked up at the man, his eyes blank for a moment until he fully registered what he’d said. “He took… he took Alan and John into town while Scott’s away.”

“Alright, Virgil, but what about a number? Do you have a phone at all?”

“Phone… yeah. My phone.” He patted his pockets, frowning. “Where…”

“What were you doing before this happened? Maybe your phone is where you last were.”

“Yeah… I was… I don’t know… Gordon, I need to see Gordon!”

Tony put his hands out again, stopping Virgil from running off. “Gordon? Is that his name? The brother that was on the boat?”

“Gordon…” He buried his face in his hands and started to sob.

“Hey, Virgil, it’s alright,” Tony said, a gentle hand on the teen’s back. “You have a bit of paint on your hands, is that what you were doing?”

Virgil lowered his hands to look at them. “Paint… yeah. Yeah, I was painting. Where’s my easel? My phone… my phone was in my bag.”

“I’ll get someone to look for it, was it nearby?” Tony asked, tugging on the radio at his shoulder as Virgil nodded.

He watched as the man gave instructions to someone to locate his belongings, barely understanding what was being said.

“Someone’s found it and they’re bringing it over, alright?” Tony informed him. His tone never stopped being reassuring and encouraging.

Virgil nodded again, his head lowered. “I’m scared,” he admitted.

“An understandable reaction considering what you’ve just witnessed,” Tony replied. He glanced over Virgil’s shoulder again to see that his colleague seemed to have stabilised Gordon and was now prepping him to move him to their vehicle. “Alright, now, Virgil? They’re gonna be bringing Gordon to the ambulance shortly. I’ve been watching them. Once he’s settled on board, I’ll have to drive us to the hospital but you’ll be quite safe with Andi, alright? She’s very clever and really good at her job so you’ll both be in the best care, alright?”

Virgil looked up at him, his eyes fearful. He didn’t like the idea of Tony leaving him but somewhere in the rational part of his mind, the part that the fear was doing its best to bury, he knew Gordon needed the paramedic who’d already been working with him. He swallowed hard and nodded as a firefighter came up carrying his things.

“Great, thanks, Sarah,” Tony said to her, taking the bag and holding it out in front of Virgil. “Will you find your phone or may I look for it?” Virgil looked between them both, uncertain, then looked back at Tony again. “Can I look in your bag?” Tony asked again, deciding one question might be easier.

Virgil nodded, hugging his blankets tighter round him. He watched as Tony opened the pack, separating the sides as far as possible so Virgil could see what he was doing.

“There’s nothing in here that might hurt me, is there? I have to ask.”

“Just painting stuff,” Virgil whispered.

Tony nodded and pushed some items around until he spotted the phone. “Is this it?” he asked, lifting it up to show Virgil, who nodded.

“Do you feel up to finding your father’s number for me?” he asked, holding it out.

Virgil took it from him, nearly dropping it as his hands shook so much. He got as far as unlocking the device and opening the phonebook before he could no longer hold onto it.

“It’s alright, Virgil, you’ve unlocked it, let me,” Tony said kindly. “Is he listed in here as Dad?”

Virgil nodded again, wiping his eyes. He felt so weak and frightened, not at all like a Tracy should feel but he was just so scared about Gordon.

Tony put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Virgil. I’ll write it down and put the phone back in your bag. The others are just coming so we’ll get someone to call your father while we’re en route.”

Another mute nod was all the response Tony received as he quickly scrawled the number in his notebook before helping Virgil stand up. They moved to the side as Gordon was wheeled up to the back of the ambulance on a stretcher. He had a mask obscuring most of his face, helping him to breathe and already there were tubes linked to his arm.

When Virgil saw his little brother, covered in burns and looking so small and frail on the gurney, his knees gave way and Tony had to grab him to help keep him upright. “Whoa, easy, Virgil, it’s alright,” he soothed, his arm around him.

“Gordon…”

Tony helped Virgil in and settled him into one of the seats and with gentle hands, he made sure he was strapped securely to his seat, before handing over to Andi and running to the front of the ambulance.

The engine started and Virgil jumped at the sudden sound of the siren, indicating their need to travel rapidly to the hospital. He didn’t say a word throughout the whole journey, instead keeping his eyes fixed on his brother.

 

Upon arrival at the hospital, Virgil was separated from Gordon as the younger boy was taken straight through to be seen by doctors, while the older remained in the triage area. Nurses kept a close eye on him as he sat huddled inside the blankets Tony had given him, his legs pulled up close to his body.

“Virgil!”

He knew the voice but he barely reacted as his father ran over to him, sitting beside him on the bed he occupied and hugged him close. He just rested his head against him, not saying a word.

Jeff leaned back and looked at him, his hands holding his shoulders gently. “Virgil?”

He looked up at him, his expression almost blank before looking back in the direction he knew Gordon had been taken.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jeff asked the nurse attending him as he approached.

“We’re treating him for shock. It would seem he witnessed the explosion and saw his brother thrown from the boat.”

Jeff grimaced. “Will he be alright?”

The man nodded. “We’ll monitor him, but it’s an incredibly traumatic thing to witness. It may take him time before he’s able to fully process it.”

“And Gordon? They won’t let me see him.” There was anguish in his eyes, the fear of what might happen but right now, seeing the state his middle boy was in, he knew he had to try and keep it together. Virgil was terrified enough already without him adding to that.

“He’s still in surgery. You’ll be informed as soon as he’s out, but he’s suffered extensive damage to his back and legs both through the proximity to the explosion and the impact of his landing after being thrown from the vessel. He’s also suffered pretty severe burns over a considerable part of his body.”

Virgil buried his face in his hands, a choked sounding sob escaping him.

Jeff gently pulled him closer again, pressing his son’s head against his chest. “It’s alright, Virgil,” he whispered. “It’s alright, Daddy’s here.”

Under normal circumstances, the almost-sixteen-year-old might have made a comment about him referring to himself as ‘daddy’ but he didn’t say a word, instead clinging to his father’s shirt.

Jeff remained at his side, an arm round him protectively. He was scared, himself, terrified at the thought that his second youngest son was currently undergoing surgery to possibly save his life. He looked down again when he felt Virgil pull away from him. He watched as he looked around, his expression one of confusion. “Virgil?”

Virgil looked up at him then looked around again, as though seeking something.

“Have you lost something, Virgil?” Jeff asked him.

He took a deep breath and let it out shakily before taking another. “A… Al…” He was barely able to form a full word, but Jeff was pretty certain he knew what he wanted.

“Alan?”

Virgil nodded.

“He’s with John back home and Scott’s on his way back, too,” he answered. “He’s not on his own.”

He nodded again, putting his head back against his father’s chest.

Jeff put his arm back round him, pressing his lips gently to the top of his head. Virgil was still rather small for his age, but now he looked smaller than ever, curled up tightly against his father and hugging him as a young child would, rather than the adolescent he now was. It made Jeff’s heart ache to see him looking so lost and broken. He leaned his head back against the wall behind him, tilting it to look up at the ceiling in the hope Virgil wouldn’t notice the tears filling his eyes.

 

“Mr Tracy?”

Jeff jerked awake at the sound of his name. He’d dozed off holding Virgil some time ago but now a doctor stood before him. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, is it Gordon? How is he? Can I see him?”

The doctor held up a hand before approaching and sitting beside him. She looked down at Virgil, noting he was deeply asleep. “We’ve completed the surgery and he’s now stable, but your son is not a well boy, Mr Tracy,” she said. “The damage to his spine and legs caused by the explosion was severe and we think he may need a lot of physiotherapy before he’ll be able to walk properly again. I have to warn you, though, it’s possible he might not walk again, the trauma was extensive.”

Jeff stared at her, his eyes wide. “You say might?” he asked, clinging to that thread of hope.

“We won’t know for certain how severe the damage has been until he wakes. As I say, he won’t be able to walk at all, at least to start with, but yes, there is the hope that with the proper treatment he will regain some mobility. But I do have to warn you of the worst case as well.”

“I understand,” he said softly. “Can I see him yet?”

“We’ll let you know when you can go in. Right now, we’re still monitoring him as the effects of the anaesthetic wears off. You can go and see him afterwards.”

Jeff nodded, looking back down at Virgil again before back up at the doctor. “Thank you,” he whispered.

She offered a small smile and nodded at him.

He watched her walk out before looking back down at Virgil again, feeling him stir against his arm. He stroked his hair gently, smiling softly at him as he opened his eyes blearily and looked up at him. “Dad?” he whispered.

“I’m here, Virgil,” he replied quietly. “How are you feeling?”

He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision before raising a hand to hold his head which was beginning to throb painfully. “Gordon?” he murmured. As though a rush of memory returned all at once, he sat up suddenly, his eyes wide. “Gordon!”

“Virgil, shh, Virgil, shh it’s okay,” Jeff soothed, pulling him closer. “They’ve finished the surgery and he’s stable now. We can go see him as soon as the doctors are happy for him to have visitors, alright?”

“We can see him?” he asked, his voice croaking a little through the amount of emotion he could barely contain.

“Soon, Virgil,” he said. “But not yet. How are you feeling?”

He licked his lips as he lowered his head, breaking eye contact. He felt like he just couldn’t look at him.

“Virgil? It’s okay to be scared,” Jeff assured him. “I’m real scared, too.”

Virgil looked up at him again, surprise etched on his pale face. “Really?”

“Of course I am,” he replied, hugging him closer again. “This isn’t the sort of thing you can just put on a brave face for, it’s scary. But we’re gonna get through it together. It’s okay to be scared, Virgil. But we’re all gonna get through.”

 

The next time Virgil woke again, it was to find Scott at his bedside in quiet discussion with their father, the elder son looking pale and scared, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. He sat up wearily, rubbing his eyes. “Scott?”

“Hey, Virgil,” he said softly, holding his arms open to him.

Virgil crawled across his bed and fell against him, letting him hold him tightly.

Scott stroked his hair gently as he looked back at Jeff, his tone low as he spoke. “How much did he see?”

“He’s not really said much about it to me, but the paramedic who brought him in is under the impression he witnessed the entire incident,” Jeff replied, a hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Scott hissed in a breath, looking back down at Virgil to see him looking up at him, his expression so full of pain and terror.

“We’re here, Virgil,” Scott whispered to him. “And the doctor said we could go and see Gordon soon. D’you feel up to that?”

Virgil nodded. He needed to see his brother, to prove to himself with his own eyes he was still alive, to quiet the persistent voice in his mind that repeatedly told him he’d witnessed his brother perish.

Scott smiled softly and nodded in turn. “Alright. The nurse has just gone to see if we can go up yet.”

Virgil just huddled against his side and Scott looked over at their father, frowning in concern.

“He’s barely said a word about anything,” Jeff clarified.

Scott sighed, holding him just a little tighter.

“Mr Tracy?”

The patriarch and firstborn both looked round at the call, Scott having grown accustomed to answering to that term at college.

“I’m here to take you through to see your son,” the nurse stated.

“Thank you,” he replied, turning to the others and looking down at Virgil. “You ready?”

He nodded again and moved closer to the edge of his bed.

“Easy now, Virgil,” Scott said, an arm around him. He was concerned when Virgil could barely support himself and relied on the steadying arm of his brother.

Together, they followed the nurse through to the private room occupied by Gordon. As soon as Virgil saw his little brother, he stopped dead in the doorway. The sight of him looking so small and frail, hooked up to monitors and drips increased the fear he felt. True, the heart monitor was beeping steadily, but all Virgil could see was the bandages, wires, bruises, burns.

“Virgil?” Scott whispered, his hands on his arms. “Virgil, are you alright?”

He began to tremble, his knees giving way. Jeff was behind him in an instant, scooping him up, bridal style, and taking him into the room, placing him gently in the chair beside Gordon’s bed. “Virgil? Virgil, it’s alright, look at me,” Jeff said gently. “Look at me. He’s gonna be alright, Virgil. He’s alive and he’s gonna be alright in time.”

He covered his eyes, his palms pressing hard against his face to blot out the sight as he started to sob again, a sound so full of anguish that broke Jeff’s heart to hear. Gordon might have endured a terrible ordeal, but Virgil was going through an equally serious trauma of his own and Jeff was scared he might lose two of his boys. Not physically, the doctors had assured him Gordon was out of danger, but emotionally would his sons ever be the same again?

 

Virgil had fallen into an uneasy sleep in the chair beside Gordon’s bed. He’d shifted as close as he could to his brother so he could grasp his hand before succumbing.

Scott sat at the end of Gordon’s bed, watching them both. He hadn’t felt fear like this since the incident which had robbed them of their mother and almost their youngest brother. He felt physically sick at the sight of both Gordon and Virgil, the worry making him feel like his insides were being tied in knots.

He tried to keep his mind away from the what if’s but he found he couldn’t help it. The rational part of his mind knew that Gordon was out of danger, that by coming through the surgery he’d essentially taken that first step onto the long road to recovery, but the side of his mind dominated by fear kept whispering dark thoughts. What if something goes wrong? What if they hadn’t been in time? What if they lost him?

He’d already spoken to Jeff about the incident, a story that was pieced together by information provided by the paramedics who’d cared for his brothers on scene, the police officer who’d been in to speak to the other two boys who’d been on the boat – they’d been brought in separately to the hospital as their injuries weren’t life threatening – and their father’s own knowledge of the circumstances before the incident occurred.

From what he could gather, Gordon had gone out with his friend and the friend’s older brother on the boat. The older brother had been piloting the craft when something had gone wrong. Gordon had insisted they return to shore but the brother was adamant it was fine and he could handle it. Not wanting his friends to be hurt, Gordon had pushed them overboard, recognising that the boat was seriously malfunctioning, and attempted to steer it away from them, but before he could jump to safety himself, the engine had exploded.

He shuddered at the thought and yet, still felt pride at his own little brother for being so brave, putting his own life on the line to save his friends.

He’d been in class when he’d felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Slipping it out, he’d checked the caller ID and realised he’d missed several calls from his father, so had asked the teacher if he could step out, citing his father calling as the reason. He was grateful that particular teacher was so understanding and had allowed him to take the call. When Jeff had informed him that Gordon had been in an accident and was undergoing surgery, he’d collapsed to the floor in the corridor, sliding down the wall behind him to sit down hard. Another passing faculty member had spotted him and asked if he was alright. He’d barely been able to tell them what had happened, but when he did, they insisted Scott leave straight away and that they’d inform his teacher on his behalf. “You need to be with your family right now, Mr Tracy,” the teacher had said.

So now, here he sat, with at least part of his family, the rest were still at home with his grandmother, probably worried out of their minds. But sitting here, he felt so helpless. His brothers were in trouble but there was nothing he could do to help them. Gordon needed extensive medical care which, clearly, he was unqualified to provide, and Virgil… He could provide all the hugs and listening ears and kind words and encouragement in the world, but he had a feeling Virgil would need far more than he could offer. He’d been with Gordon, had seen the explosion and witnessed his brother being thrown like a ragdoll. How could he help him through that? His middle brother had scarcely said a word since he’d arrived and Jeff had stated he’d said little more before that. Jeff and Virgil’s nurse were also talking about the distinct possibility that he’d need counselling to overcome this and even then, he might never be the same again. How could he, as their big brother, possibly help them through this? The promise he’d made to always protect them now seemed shattered.

He pulled his legs up closer to him, resting his chin on his knees as he hugged himself, leaning against the footrest of Gordon’s bed. His eyes remained fixed on his two younger brothers as he felt tears filling his eyes.

He jumped slightly at the light touch of his father’s hand on his shoulder, having not heard him return from getting them both coffee.

“Sorry, Scott,” he said quietly. “Are you alright?” The words seemed so ridiculous. Of course he wasn’t alright, none of them were.

Scott just shrugged. “I don’t know, Father,” he whispered, looking up at him.

Jeff put the polystyrene cups on the side and sat down beside him, slipping an arm round his shoulder and allowing Scott to lean against him. “I don’t know either, Son,” he replied softly. He was glad they were both asleep, not wanting them to see him looking so afraid.

“Did they say anything about how long Gordon’s recovery might take?”

“It’s going to be a very lengthy process and each case is different, but he’s a fighter. He’ll be running the nurses ragged before we know it,” Jeff replied, a look of deep fondness as he gazed upon his second youngest. If it wasn’t for the medical equipment he was linked to and the bandages and burns covering him, he’d almost think he looked as though he was just sleeping peacefully… almost. But his mind couldn’t get past the sight of his little boy, so damaged, so still and quiet.

Scott sighed, nodding. “And Virgil?”

“They’ve got a counsellor coming to see him later on,” Jeff replied, his shoulders sagging. “Medically, the nurses said he’s doing alright now but his road to recovery could be just as long as Gordon’s.”

“They’re gonna be alright, though, aren’t they?” Scott asked, looking up at him.

Jeff looked back at him, seeing his own fear mirrored in his son’s eyes. “I don’t know, Scott,” he whispered. “I just don’t know.”

Scott lowered his eyes, resting against his father.

 

“Is’e gon’ wake up soon?”

“I’m sure he will, don’t worry, you need to focus on yourself, save your strength.”

“M’fine, Dad.”

“You sound terrible, Gordo, you’re not fine.”

Virgil frowned. The voices were all hushed but still felt like they were yelling in his ear. He groaned, trying to move to cover his head with his pillow until he realised he wasn’t in his own bed.

“Virgil? Virgil, you okay?”

He lifted his head, blinking slowly as he tried to focus on his surroundings. It was a few moments before he realised he was looking at the face of his immediately younger brother and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of him. So many bruises, cuts and burns surrounded eyes that normally held so much joy and humour but now just looked tired and in pain.

“Gordon?”

“Hey, you ‘member me,” Gordon whispered, smiling softly.

Virgil stared at him, feeling his hands shaking.

“Virgil?” Gordon’s smile slipped and he turned his head, seeking his father. “Dad?” Jeff moved closer and put his hand gently on his shoulder. “Dad? Wha’s wrong with’im?”

Jeff’s smile was sad. “You boys always worry more about each other than you do about yourselves. He’ll be alright. Like I said, you need to focus on looking after yourself. You have a lot of recovering to do.”

Virgil looked between them, his eyes wide and scared.

Scott moved closer, reaching out to Virgil. The younger Tracy looked at the offered hand, then up at his oldest brother before grasping it tightly and climbing onto his lap. Scott wrapped his arms round him, almost subconsciously rocking him back and forth like he used to when Virgil was tiny and afraid of the storms.

“He’s alive?” Virgil whispered into Scott’s ear.

“Yeah, Virge, he is,” Scott assured him. “You’re not dreaming, not imagining it. He’s alive and he wants to know if you’re alright.”

Virgil shook his head, burying his face against Scott’s shoulder.

Gordon watched him, tears filling his eyes. The doctors had explained what had happened when he’d finally woken enough to begin to comprehend but he had no memory at all of the incident. His father had explained that Virgil had witnessed the entire thing. Watching him now, it looked to Gordon as though while he himself had no memory, Virgil had too much.

He looked back at Jeff as he felt his father take hold of his hand. “He’ll be alright, Gordon,” he said. “He’s gonna have someone come talk to him.”

“S’my fault,” he murmured.

“No, Gordon,” Jeff insisted. “This is not your fault. Not at all.”

“Shouldn’t’a gone out,” he whispered, struggling to remain awake. He ached all over and he was still so scared of his currently uncertain future, but more than anything, he was afraid that Virgil, the brother who was usually so strong and brave, was so emotionally broken because of him.

“Gordon, you weren’t to know what was going to happen,” Jeff said.

“S’like this ‘cause’a me,” he said breathlessly.

“Shh, Gordon, it’s alright,” Jeff soothed, brushing his fingers gently through Gordon’s fringe; the only place his hair was still visible due to the bandages. “This is not because of you, I promise you.” He watched as Gordon slowly succumbed to his fatigue, sighing softly.

Virgil clung tighter to Scott. He’d heard the heart rate monitor beginning to speed up as Gordon got agitated and he didn’t like it at all. To him, he hadn’t done enough to try and help Gordon, despite knowing there was nothing he could have done. He just wasn’t able to escape the dark thoughts swirling around his mind.

Scott glanced at Jeff, worried how Virgil was reacting to Gordon and Gordon to Virgil. He continued to gently rock Virgil against him, stroking his hair, until he felt his posture relax slightly, his brother having fallen asleep. “Perhaps I should take him home?” Scott offered, looking up at his father again. “The nurse said he didn’t need to be here and the counsellor can come by our place, right?”

Jeff sighed again. “Maybe. But I honestly don’t know what’s best right now,” he said, looking between them. “Both of them are blaming themselves for the predicament the other is in, but neither is at fault.”

Scott nodded, looking back down at Virgil with a sad sigh of his own. He pressed his lips against Virgil’s hair before resting his cheek against the top of his head.

 

 

Tin-Tin’s eyes were wide as she regarded Scott, seeing how hard it was for him to tell this story. “Oh, Scott, I had no idea,” she said gently. “I mean, I knew, of course, that Gordon had had his accident. He’s told me himself, or at least he’s told me the story he was told of the incident.”

Scott nodded. “Mmm. He still doesn’t remember the actual event, even now. Unfortunately, Virgil does. All too well.”

“Gordon never mentioned Virgil had been there with him. When he told me, he basically explained how he got the scars on his back, so just the actual boat accident and his surgery. He didn’t tell me anything surrounding it.”

“No, he probably wouldn’t,” Scott replied. “His recovery was very slow and he needed further surgery which became apparent during his physiotherapy, but you know Gordon, he’s a fighter.”

“Yes, he is,” she said softly. “And Virgil?”

“His recovery took a very long time as well. He had a counselling session before we took him home in the end to help him come to terms with the fact that none of it was his fault, then several more once he’d left the hospital. Rationally, he knew that, but somehow he got stuck in a kind of loop of blaming himself for not stopping them from going out.”

“But he’d have had no reason to stop them,” Tin-Tin said.

“I know that,” Scott agreed. “And he knew that, but he’d been so scared he lost sight of that. He wasn’t even sixteen years old at this point.”

She bit her lip and looked up at him. “So… I’m sorry, I’m a little confused. Not that I don’t appreciate you giving me this insight, but… um…”

“Why?”

She nodded.

“Because you asked him to join you in the pool earlier,” Scott explained. She continued to look confused so he elaborated.

 

 

Virgil climbed out of Scott’s car and looked up at their home. He hadn’t seen it in several days, having been in the hospital with Gordon for the most part. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, savouring the scents that he associated with the safety and comfort of home – the smell of the crops, the dry dusty aroma of land after days without rain, the trees, his grandmother’s flower garden. With a sigh he opened his eyes again and looked back at Scott who put a reassuring arm around his shoulder.

“Come on, Virge,” he said softly. “Time to go in. How about a shower to freshen up? Might feel nice after only a damp cloth wash at the hospital, yeah? Or perhaps I could run you a bath, you could have a long soak. Might ease some of that tension.”

Virgil just shrugged. He was still very unsure of himself, though the counsellor at the hospital had been very nice.

Scott squeezed his arm round him gently. “Alright. I’ll run you a bath then, okay?” He guided him inside, taking him through to the den where he sat him down. “Grandma took John and Alan out so you wouldn’t be pounced on by them when you got back, alright?”

Virgil looked up at him and nodded, looking back down at his hands in his lap.

Scott sat on the arm of the chair. “Virgil? It’s gonna be alright, okay? Gordon’s getting the best possible care and the doctors think he will get some of his mobility back.”

He nodded again, sniffing slightly.

Scott sighed softly, wishing his father were there. Jeff had remained at the hospital with Gordon as the physiotherapist had needed to talk to them both so Scott had volunteered to bring Virgil back with him.  He bit his lip wondering what else he could say to him, hating how much his brother was clearly hurting and not knowing how to help.

Virgil leaned a little closer and rested his head against Scott’s hip, causing the older boy to reach down, stroking his hair gently. “Things are gonna get better, Virgil,” he whispered. “I just know it.”

They sat there together in silence for a little while before Scott looked back down at him. “How about that bath?” he offered softly, a small smile on his lips. “You were in there for a couple of days, Virge. You smell.”

Virgil looked up at him and saw the smile. He knew Scott was trying to get him to move but he really didn’t feel like being alone. He screwed his eyes shut and buried his face against him.

Scott bit his lip slightly, the smile slipping. “How about we go up together?” The younger boy looked up again, his eyes expressing relief. “You want that?” Virgil nodded and Scott squeezed his arm round his shoulder gently. “Alright. Come on then.”

Virgil let him help him up and together they went upstairs. They reached the bathroom and Scott went in, turning the taps on to get a good temperature and putting the plug in. He left it to fill and returned to Virgil. “Come on, Virge, we’ll go to your room for a bit while it fills.”

With an arm round his shoulder again, Scott lead Virgil back to his room, closing the door behind them before going to sit on his bed.

Scott looked down at his brother as he leaned against him again. He’d still hardly said a word over the last few days.

He stroked his hair gently, holding him close, feeling entirely out of his depth. He wanted so much to help Virgil but he had no idea where to start. How could he fix this?

A few minutes later, Scott nudged Virgil’s arm gently. “Your bath should be almost ready for you, Virgil. Come on. I’ll take you in there, then come back in here and find you some clean pyjamas while you have a wash. Is that alright?”

Virgil shrugged, but let Scott help him up. They went back to the bathroom and Scott went in first, turning off the tap before turning back to Virgil. “Alright, I got your phone here,” he said, pulling it out of his pocket. Jeff had given him Virgil’s belongings as they’d left the hospital. “How about if you need me you text me?”

The younger Tracy took it, looking at it. He lowered his head, nodding quietly.

Scott bit his lip again, nodding in return. “Alright, Virgil,” he muttered. “I’ll, uh, I’ll just be in your room then.”

Virgil watched him go, his eyes following his progress until he disappeared through the doorway before turning back to the bath. He stepped closer, but when he looked into the bath, the water still rippling with residual momentum from the previously running tap and sunlight sparkling off it through the bathroom window, he froze. The phone dropped from his hand, clattering to the floor as his shoulders lifted, his whole body tensing. In his mind’s eye, all he could see was the boat exploding and Gordon being thrown across the lake, the water sparkling in the sunlight. His breathing came in short, sharp gasps as he began to back away, bumping into the wall behind him. He pushed his palms into his eyes, dropping to his knees as he let out a high, long scream of pure fear. He forced himself right into the corner of the room, behind the door, curling in on himself and sobbing, the sound harsh and tortured.

Scott ran back into the room, looking around. “Virgil? Virgil, what’s wrong?” He turned to see him sat on his ankles, his face in his hands and rocking slightly as he bent over himself.  “Virgil?” He crouched in front of him, reaching for his hands. “Virgil, it’s me, it’s Scott, I’m right here,” he said gently, his hands carefully wrapping round Virgil’s wrists.

The moment he touched him, Virgil flinched back, hitting his head on the wall behind him and pulling his arms from his grip. “Gordon!” He flailed, his arms windmilling wildly and catching Scott round the face as he tried to get away.

Scott gasped, sitting back in surprise and holding his stinging cheek briefly. He knew Virgil hadn’t done it deliberately, but it had still shocked him. “Virgil?” he uttered, his tone shaking a little. He was terrified at the reaction and had no idea what to do. He slowly reached out for him again. “Virgil, it’s Scott,” he murmured, trying to sound reassuring. “It’s big brother, I’m right here.”

He caught one of Virgil’s hands again and gently but firmly held it. “It’s me, Virgil, it’s me, it’s Scott. Listen to my voice, Virgil, I’m right here.” He managed to catch hold of the other hand and held them both, lowering his head to angle himself to look into Virgil’s eyes, wild with fear. “Look at me, Virgil, it’s me. Try to breathe with me, little brother. You’re safe. You’re with me.”

Virgil looked at him, trying to pull his hands from his grip. “My brother… He… he was on the boat…  We need to tell Dad… I gotta see him! I gotta help him!”

Scott’s eyes were filling with tears as he realised Virgil wasn’t really seeing him. By the sounds of it, he was seeing one of the people who’d helped him at the lakeside. “Virgil, he’s safe. Gordon is safe. He’s at the hospital and the doctors are looking after him. You’re at home, with me, with Scott. You’re both safe.” His voice was wavering as he spoke to him, though he tried his hardest to remain strong for him.

He stopped trying to pull away from him. “Gordon?”

“He’s safe, Virgil,” Scott whispered. “I promise, he’s safe.” He watched as the tension left his shoulders, his little brother sagging slightly. He pulled him gently closer to him. “I promise he’s safe, Virgil. I promise.”

He felt Virgil essentially collapse against him as he wrapped his arms around him. “You’re both safe, Virgil.”

Virgil sobbed against him, clinging to his shirt, but Scott didn’t move until he felt him pull back slightly. “Hey,” he whispered softly, pushing his fringe from his face.

“Scott?”

“Yeah, Virgil, it’s me. I’m here,” he replied softly. “I’m right here.”

“Where…” He looked around, seeming surprised to find himself in the bathroom. “How…” He swallowed hard. “How did I get here?” he whispered.

This was the most Scott had heard him coherently say since before the incident. “I brought you in here so you could get a bath,” he said, his tone as calm as he could make it, despite his own intense fear at what had just happened.

Virgil looked at him then over his shoulder, seeing the bath there.

“You don’t remember?”

He shook his head, feeling incredibly tired and light-headed. Scott stroked his hair gently again. “Come on, let’s get up off this cold floor,” he whispered softly. “Easy does it.” He put his arm round Virgil’s waist and helped him up, gently supporting him.

As Virgil straightened next to him, he caught sight of the water again and clung to Scott, burying his face against him. “No… no!” he whimpered. “No!”

“Virgil?” He couldn’t understand why he’d suddenly started to react this way again, his little brother shaking uncontrollably against him and whimpering.

“Gordon… no!”

He looked from him to the bath, the water still reflecting the sunlight and his own breath caught in his throat as he realised. “Oh Virgil…” he whispered, his arms looping round him as he guided him back out. “Come on, Virgil, come on.”

Virgil clung to him as Scott led him back to his room, still shuddering as he was lowered to his bed.

Scott closed the bedroom door and returned to Virgil’s side, slipping his arm back round him again. “It’s alright, Virgil, I’m right here,” he whispered. “I’m here.”

Virgil looked up at him, his eyes betraying so much fear and pain. “Is it alright?” he murmured.

Scott sighed, hugging him closer. “It will be, Virgil,” he said. “It will be.”

 

Scott didn’t realise he’d dozed off hugging his little brother until he opened his eyes to see his grandmother stood in front of him. “Grandma?”

“That doesn’t look particularly comfortable there, Scott,” she said softly, sitting on the chair beside the bed.

He shrugged. “Didn’t want to leave him,” he replied, sitting up carefully so as not to disturb him. He’d slumped slightly as he’d fallen asleep, meaning he now had a pretty stiff neck and aching shoulders. “Where are the others?”

“Alan wanted to come straight up here to see Virgil but John’s distracting him,” she reported. “Your father is still at the hospital.”

He nodded, looking back down at Virgil again who was cuddled tightly against his side, curled up in a foetal position. He leaned down, rubbing his cheek against his hair.

“How’s he holding up?” Grandma asked, her tone full of concern.

Scott looked back up at her. “He’s not,” he stated. “Not at all. He’s hardly said anything and what he has said has either been whispered because he can barely muster the energy to talk, or it’s been literally screamed in pure terror.”

“What d’you mean?” she asked, leaning a little closer.

“Did Dad tell you fully what happened?”

She nodded. “Yeah. We’re so lucky we didn’t lose Gordon.”

“Yeah,” Scott responded. “But did he also tell you that Virgil witnessed the whole thing?”

Grandma sighed, her head lowering as she nodded this time. “Yeah, he did. Poor kid.”

“Well, I think because of that, he’s reacting a lot worse than we first thought. I ran him a bath to try and help relax him a bit, but he responded to it like I’d just tried to submerge him in acid. The scream…” He shuddered at the memory. “He had no idea where he was when I got back to him. The way he was talking, it sounded like he was reliving his time at the lakeside during the incident.”

The Tracy matriarch covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she looked down on her young grandson. “Was it the water that triggered it?”

“I reckon so, ‘cause when he caught sight of it again when I managed to get him off the bathroom floor, he seemed to lose control again.” He looked back down at Virgil, pulling the arm round his brother closer to hug him just a little tighter. “I didn’t get a chance to empty the bath yet, though. Would you do it in case he needs to go to the bathroom? If it is the water triggering these flashbacks, I don’t want to be the cause of more of them.”

Grandma nodded again. “No problem, Scott,” she whispered. “I’ll do that. But… how are you doing?”

“Me?” he asked, returning his gaze to her.

“Yes, you. Scott, you look exhausted,” she informed him.

He shook his head. “I’m hardly the priority here, Grandma.”

“Maybe, but if you don’t look after yourself, we’ll end up having to care for three of you. When was the last time you ate? Or slept properly?”

He frowned as he considered. “I… I don’t remember,” he muttered. “Earlier today? Or was it yesterday?”

“Scott Tracy, you need to have something to eat,” she insisted.

“Grandma, I can’t leave him,” he replied. “What if he wakes up while I’m gone? He hasn’t been alone at all since the accident. Even before Dad arrived at the hospital, he had, at the very least, a nurse with him.”

“I’m not suggesting we leave him alone,” Grandma assured him. “John or I could stay with him. But you need to get something to eat, and get a proper sleep.”

He looked at her, as if searching for a flaw in her logic, but he could find none. Eventually he sighed, knowing he’d never win an argument with her and carefully slid his arm from behind Virgil. The younger boy whimpered as he felt Scott move away from him, causing the older to stop, tensing, and look round at his grandmother.

“Easy does it, Scott,” she said. “That’s it, just gently ease your arm from behind him. I’ll stay with him for now. You need to get something to eat. But I promise, I’ll stay with him.”

He bit his lip, then continued pulling his arm slowly free. Once released, he stood then he extended and retracted it a few times, rotating his shoulder as well to try and relieve some of the stiffness, but when he looked back at Virgil he was unable to stop himself from letting out a choked sob. The poor boy was curled in on himself so tightly he was practically a little ball and his face was screwed up into a harsh frown. There was no relaxation visible in his slight frame, only tension and fear. His own shoulders dropped as he looked on him and before he knew it, his grandmother had stepped up behind him and put a hand on his arm. He turned, burying his face into her hair as he hugged her, desperately trying to cry quietly so as not to disturb Virgil.

“That’s it, Scott, let it out,” Grandma soothed. “Let it all out.”

He held her several minutes longer, his near silent cries finally ceasing as he leaned back, wiping his eyes. “How do I protect them, Grandma? I promised I’d always look after my little brothers, but I can’t.”

“Scott, this isn’t your fault. There are some things a parent or big brother can’t protect the young from, but we can remain at their side offering guidance and support and love. That’s all we can do here. The rest we have to trust in the professionals who are trained to deal with this sort of thing.”

He nodded, his breathing a little shaky. “What if they’re never the same again?”

She reached out and put a hand on his cheek. “I think you know that they won’t be. Something like this is life changing, Scott, but we will get our Gordon and Virgil back to us. They might not be quite the same, but I believe with all my heart that they will recover from this and that with the help of their family, both will be fighting fit again.”

 

 

Tin-Tin reached out and put a hand over Scott’s, seeing the raw emotion in his eyes as he recalled the event. “I’m sorry, Scott,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“And that’s our fault. We should have told you sooner,” Scott said. “Then you wouldn’t have been put in this situation.”

She sighed softly, squeezing his hand. “So, he’s still triggered by water? Even now?”

Scott nodded. “Mmm hmm. His counsellor called it hydrophobia, the fear of water. It took us a very long time before we could even convince him to have a shower. Water just really freaks him out, especially large amounts. He spent a long time having just damp cloth washes and because of his severe reactions he had to take a lot of time off school. He couldn’t even cope with puddles, especially puddles after a downpour when the sunlight hit them.”

Tin-Tin’s shoulders dropped slightly as she realised the extent of Virgil’s difficulties. “Poor guy.”

“Yeah,” Scott agreed. “It took a whole load of counselling sessions before he was able to begin to come to terms with what had happened. In some ways, Gordon actually recovered faster than Virgil. He was so desperate to be mobile again, to be swimming again, that he pushed himself very hard through his physio. It did begin to help Virgil, seeing Gordon getting better, but he still really struggled. It was a great achievement for him when he was finally able to take a proper shower again. He was shaking like a leaf afterwards, but looked so proud of himself. But even now, he still won’t have a bath anymore.”

“And he doesn’t go swimming,” Tin-Tin added, finally realising just why her comment had affected him. “So, is that why you left Mobile Control to assist Gordon at Lake Anasta? I thought it odd that Virgil didn’t go and took your usual role instead.”

He nodded again. “Yeah. And that’s also why he went in to look for you and the professor, to be away from the water. But to be honest, he almost didn’t go, but Gordon managed to convince him. He’d heard the call and the location and was verging on having a panic attack at the thought that some of our closest friends, almost family, were in trouble at a lake and it was Gordon who managed to calm him. He did really well though, considering we were working lakeside. Although he did have nightmares for a few nights afterwards.”

“I feel like I need to go and apologise to him,” Tin-Tin said quietly, leaning against Scott’s arm.

He smiled softly, putting his arm round her shoulder. “I’m sure he’d appreciate that, because then he’ll know you understand him better, but don’t feel you’ve done anything wrong, because you didn’t know.”

She looked up at him. “Where is he?”

“He’s asleep right now,” Scott said. “Or at least, he was when I left him. He had a minor episode today because of the rescue. He might have been alright after your comment, but it didn’t help when Gordon joined in. I need to remind Gordon about that. But what made it worse for him was the rescue. He lost contact with me for a long time so the two events combined triggered something in him. Luckily, this time, all he did was organise his desk to within an inch of its life. It was one of his coping mechanisms when this was at its worst. To occupy his mind, he’d tidy. Sometimes he’d need that distraction more than others and it kinda developed into a form of OCD because if he’s still struggling, he feels he still needs to arrange things. When I found him earlier, he was getting frustrated that the pencils in his pot wouldn’t stay lined up the way he wanted.”

“I had wondered. I mean, he’s so neat and tidy, but I didn’t like to ask.”

Scott nodded. “His painting and music helps too. It was a while before he returned to his painting because that’s what he’d been doing at the time of the accident, but it didn’t affect him anywhere near as much as water does. It just took him a while to return to it. So if he’s tidied so much it’s starting to frustrate him, normally he turns to taking that frustration out on the piano or a canvas. I think he was reaching that point when I spoke to him earlier. But it tires him. A lot. I think because he’s focusing so hard on trying not to give in to a trigger, it tires him out which is why he’s asleep already.”

“I see,” Tin-Tin whispered, looking out over the pool, the surface glistening under the light from the villa above them as night drew in. “But he’ll be alright, won’t he?”

“Alright is a difficult term, Tin-Tin,” Scott admitted. “In general, yes, he’s alright and yes, he will get over this little episode. But he’ll always be affected by it. The Lake Anasta mission was the last time he really reacted.”

Tin-Tin nodded. “It must be so hard for him,” she said quietly.

“It can be, but for the most part, he really is so much better than he was and he doesn’t react anywhere near as much as he used to.” He shivered a little as the temperature dropped. He looked around and realised they must have been sat there for quite some time. “Come on, let’s go back in the warm.”

She smiled at him. “Scott, it’s not exactly cold here,” she stated.

“Perhaps not, but it’s cooler than it was during the day and don’t forget, I’ve been out in a desert today so in comparison, it’s kinda cold.”

“Alright, point taken,” she said as they both stood up.

Scott smiled at her kindly. “Don’t let this worry you, though, Tin-Tin,” he said. “Virgil doesn’t hold it against you at all. He understands.”

She looked up at him as they went back inside, heading through to the kitchen. “I’ll make sure I talk to him as soon as I can.”

“Been talking about me?”

They both looked up to find Virgil sat at the dining table, a mug of herbal tea clasped between his hands which he let go of and approached Tin-Tin.

She glanced at Scott as if seeking approval, then back up at Virgil. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, hugging him gently.

He smiled softly, his own arms wrapping round her. “It’s alright, Tin-Tin,” he replied quietly, sighing a little. “You didn’t know.”

“I told you he wouldn’t hold it against you,” Scott said.

Tin-Tin pulled back and looked between them. “So many things make sense now,” she said.

Virgil chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “My weird behaviour, you mean?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to put it quite like that,” she replied. “But I had often wondered why you usually sit away from the pool’s edge and never go swimming.”

He sighed again, nodding. “When we moved out here and I saw the pool for the first time, I locked myself in my room for the rest of the day. Dad was really worried he’d made a huge mistake in installing it. But I knew that we’d need something to occupy ourselves between rescues and things, or at least, you guys. And what better way than a pool to cool off in these tropical temperatures.” He shook his head again. “I think in some ways it kinda helps that it’s here because slowly but surely I’ve been able to work my way closer to it. At first I refused to go out there at all, but over the years, I’ve managed to get at least to the loungers so I can sit with everyone.”

Tin-Tin reached out and took his hand. “Virgil, I think you’re so brave,” she said gently.

He shrugged slightly. “I don’t feel that way when I’m triggered. But I am getting better.”

“Yes, you are,” Scott said, his tone full of pride for his little brother. “And you are brave, Virge. One of the bravest men I know.”

A small smile crept onto his lips as he looked between them.

Scott smiled back at him. “Now, anyway, what are you doing down here? I was convinced you were out for the count and settled for the night.”

“I woke up,” he answered, shrugging again. “I was thirsty. But don’t tell John I’ve taken one of his tea bags.”

“Well, it’s probably better that than the coffee I was going to go for.”

Virgil’s small smile broadened into an easy grin. “Yes it is, you really shouldn’t drink coffee in the evening, Scott.”

He shrugged in return, chuckling. “Can’t help it, I really like it.”

“Hmm,” Virgil said. “You’re a coffee addict.”

“Yeah, I probably am.”

“How about I put the kettle on and make us all a decaf drink?” Tin-Tin offered, smiling at them both.

“Decaf is probably a good idea,” Virgil said and with a small smile at his brother, he went over to help her.

Before long, they each had a steaming beverage and were sat around the table, talking together. Scott watched Virgil, glad he’d explained this to Tin-Tin when he saw how at ease he seemed that evening, more so than he had in a while. He knew things could still set him off, but he also knew he could deal with them with the help of his family.


End file.
